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Bills from the 2015–16 session

Assembly Bill 341

Making a terrorist threat and providing a penalty. (FE)

Became law

The governor signed it on Mar 31, 2016. It's ⁠.

  1. Introduced, passed

    Sep 14, 2015

  2. Committee, passed

    Approved

  3. Assembly vote, passed

    Passed Feb 16, 2016

  4. Senate vote, passed

    Passed Mar 15, 2016

  5. Governor, passed

    Signed

  6. Law, here now

    2015 Wisconsin Act 311

Latest entry in the official record, Mar 31, 2016: “Published 3-31-2016”

Read the bill

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What it does

Summary by the , the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.

Under current law, no person may intentionally convey false information threatening to destroy property by means of an explosive or threatening to release a chemical, biological, or radioactive substance. A person who does either of these things is guilty of a Class I felony.

Under this bill, no person may threaten to cause the death of or bodily injury to any person or to damage any person's property by any means under any of the following circumstances: 1) the actor intends to prevent the occupation of or cause the evacuation of a building, dwelling, school premises, vehicle (which is defined to include any bus, train, boat, or airplane), facility of public transportation, or place of public assembly or any room within a building, dwelling, or school premises; 2) the actor intends to cause serious public inconvenience; 3) the actor intends to cause serious public panic or fear; 4) the actor intends to cause an interruption or impairment of governmental operations or public communication, of transportation, or of a supply of water, gas, or other public service; or 5) the actor creates an unreasonable and substantial risk of causing one of those occurrences and is aware of that risk.

Read the full summary

Under the bill, a person who violates this prohibition is guilty of a Class I felony, unless the person thereby contributes to the death of any person. In that case, the person is guilty of a Class G felony.

Because this bill creates a new crime or revises a penalty for an existing crime, the Joint Review Committee on Criminal Penalties may be requested to prepare a report concerning the proposed penalty and the costs or savings that are likely to result if the bill is enacted.

Who's behind it

11 representatives are its ⁠. All 11 are Republicans.

3 more lawmakers ⁠.

See all 14 names

Authors (11)

Signed on in support (3)

What it would cost

State agencies filed a . Each opens as a PDF from the Legislature.

Versions and amendments

Every text the Legislature printed for this bill, including proposed changes. Each opens on the Legislature's site.

How lawmakers voted

There were 3 votes on this bill.

Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety vote to recommend it

Passed, 9 to 3 · Feb 3, 2016

No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Official motion: “Report passage recommended by Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety, Ayes 9, Noes 3”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Assembly vote to pass it

Passed, 98 to 0 · Feb 16, 2016 · 1 didn't vote

See how each of the 99 representatives voted

D: Democrat, R: Republican

Yes (98)

Didn't vote (1)

Official motion: “Read a third time and passed, Ayes 98, Noes 0”. Official record · This vote on its own page

Senate vote

Passed, 3 to 2 · Mar 14, 2016

No member-by-member record exists for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Official motion: “Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 3, Noes 2”. Official record · This vote on its own page

What happened

  1. Mar 31, 2016

    The new law was published.

  2. Mar 31, 2016

    The governor signed it. It became 2015 Wisconsin Act 311.

  3. Mar 29, 2016

    Sent to the governor.

  4. Mar 15, 2016

    The Senate passed it too.

  5. Mar 15, 2016

    1 more senator signed on in support.

  6. Mar 14, 2016

    “Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 3, Noes 2” (the official wording)

  7. Mar 14, 2016

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Senate Organization.

  8. Feb 17, 2016

    Sent to the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety.

  9. Feb 17, 2016

    The Senate received it.

  10. Feb 16, 2016

    The Assembly passed it, 98 to 0.

  11. Feb 16, 2016

    The Assembly adopted it.

  12. Feb 3, 2016

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Rules.

  13. Feb 3, 2016

    The committee voted to recommend passing it, 9 to 3.

  14. Jan 14, 2016

    The committee held a public hearing.

  15. Oct 8, 2015

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  16. Sep 23, 2015

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  17. Sep 17, 2015

    A state agency sent in its estimate of the cost.

  18. Sep 14, 2015

    Sent to the Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety.

  19. Sep 14, 2015

    Introduced in the Assembly.

See the official record, word for word
  1. Sep 14, 2015 · Assembly

    Introduced by Representatives E. Brooks, A. Ott, Murtha, Gannon, Novak, Tranel, Horlacher, Petryk, Spiros, Murphy and Kleefisch; cosponsored by Senators Marklein and Nass

  2. Sep 14, 2015 · Assembly

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety

  3. Sep 17, 2015 · Assembly

    Fiscal estimate received

  4. Sep 23, 2015 · Assembly

    Fiscal estimate received

  5. Oct 8, 2015 · Assembly

    Fiscal estimate received

  6. Jan 14, 2016 · Assembly

    Public hearing held

  7. Jan 28, 2016 · Assembly

    Executive session held

  8. Feb 3, 2016 · Assembly

    Report passage recommended by Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety, Ayes 9, Noes 3

  9. Feb 3, 2016 · Assembly

    Referred to committee on Rules

  10. Feb 4, 2016 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 1 offered by Representative Kessler

  11. Feb 4, 2016 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 2 offered by Representative Kessler

  12. Feb 11, 2016 · Assembly

    Placed on calendar 2-16-2016 by Committee on Rules

  13. Feb 16, 2016 · Assembly

    Read a second time

  14. Feb 16, 2016 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 1 withdrawn and returned to author

  15. Feb 16, 2016 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 2 withdrawn and returned to author

  16. Feb 16, 2016 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 3 offered by Representatives Kessler and E. Brooks

  17. Feb 16, 2016 · Assembly

    Assembly Amendment 3 adopted

  18. Feb 16, 2016 · Assembly

    Ordered to a third reading

  19. Feb 16, 2016 · Assembly

    Rules suspended

  20. Feb 16, 2016 · Assembly

    Read a third time and passed, Ayes 98, Noes 0

  21. Feb 16, 2016 · Assembly

    Ordered immediately messaged

  22. Feb 17, 2016 · Senate

    Received from Assembly

  23. Feb 17, 2016 · Senate

    Read first time and referred to committee on Judiciary and Public Safety

  24. Mar 14, 2016 · Senate

    Withdrawn from committee on Judiciary and Public Safety and rereferred to committee on Senate Organization pursuant to Senate Rule 46(2)(c)

  25. Mar 14, 2016 · Senate

    Available for scheduling

  26. Mar 14, 2016 · Senate

    Public hearing requirement waived by committee on Senate Organization, pursuant to Senate Rule 18 (1m), Ayes 3, Noes 2

  27. Mar 14, 2016 · Senate

    Placed on calendar 3-15-2016 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  28. Mar 15, 2016 · Senate

    Senator Carpenter added as a cosponsor

  29. Mar 15, 2016 · Senate

    Read a second time

  30. Mar 15, 2016 · Senate

    Ordered to a third reading

  31. Mar 15, 2016 · Senate

    Rules suspended

  32. Mar 15, 2016 · Senate

    Read a third time and concurred in

  33. Mar 15, 2016 · Senate

    Ordered immediately messaged

  34. Mar 16, 2016 · Assembly

    Received from Senate concurred in

  35. Mar 21, 2016 · Assembly

    LRB correction

  36. Mar 21, 2016 · Assembly

    Report correctly enrolled on 3-21-2016

  37. Mar 29, 2016 · Assembly

    Presented to the Governor on 3-29-2016

  38. Mar 31, 2016 · Assembly

    Report approved by the Governor on 3-30-2016. 2015 Wisconsin Act 311

  39. Mar 31, 2016 · Assembly

    Published 3-31-2016

Terms on this page

Wisconsin Act

The number a bill gets when it becomes law, like 2025 Wisconsin Act 12.

Official term: Act. More in the glossary

Legislative Reference Bureau

The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.

Official term: LRB analysis. More in the glossary

Author

A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.

Official term: Author, coauthor. More in the glossary

Signed on in support

Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.

Official term: Cosponsor. More in the glossary

Cost estimate

A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.

Official term: Fiscal estimate. More in the glossary

Roll call

A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.

Official term: Roll call vote. More in the glossary

From the Wisconsin Legislature's official record, checked Sep 15, 2026. See the source

Wisconsin Act

The number a bill gets when it becomes law, like 2025 Wisconsin Act 12.

Official term: Act

More in the glossary

Legislative Reference Bureau

The Legislature's nonpartisan office that drafts bills and writes the summary at the top of each one.

Official term: LRB analysis

More in the glossary

Author

A lawmaker who formally puts a bill forward. The text itself is drafted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.

Official term: Author, coauthor

More in the glossary

Signed on in support

Lawmakers who back a bill without being one of its authors, often from the other chamber.

Official term: Cosponsor

More in the glossary

Cost estimate

A state agency's estimate of what a bill would cost or save.

Official term: Fiscal estimate

More in the glossary

Roll call

A vote where each lawmaker's yes or no is recorded by name.

Official term: Roll call vote

More in the glossary